Inuyasha's Love
by the sober irishwoman
Summary: One shot


Disclaimer: I own nothing…

Inuyasha walked through the woods, his nose hunting, trying to find a certain scent. Her scent. Since Kikyo had left him to find peace, he had spent all of his waking hours trying to find Kagome. He went first to her era, but her brother had said she hadn't returned. Puzzled, Inuyasha went back to feudal Japan and continued the search.

He had no clue what he was going to say to her when he found her. _Keh_, he thought._ She'll probably just 'sit' me until I can't speak anymore anyway. He started running again, trying to find her. He knew he couldn't blame Kagome for hiding from him. He'd been a jerk, deserting her, the one person who had never betrayed him, for the one person who had hurt him in the worst possible way. He knew Kagome would be pissed, she had always been irritated by his stupidity, but this was the first time he realized he cared. He loved her. That realization caused him to come to a halt._

"_I love her. I love Kagome," he said aloud, trying to wrap his brain around what his heart had told him. The words sounded so strange to him, but oddly right. He sniffed the air again, trying to find her smell. Nothing. "Dammit!" he took off running again._

_As he ran, he thought about the last time they had all been together. Miroku and Sango left together to get married, then he had left with Kikyo. He could see Kagome's hurt face in his mind's eye, the last image he had seen of her and the only image that would come to him. She had pleaded with him not to leave her, but he didn't listen. So, he had left with Kikyo, only to be rejected by her. Now he knew he had to find Kagome, or never find peace._

_He was about to give up for the night when he caught the scent of blood. Kagome's blood. The sweet, coppery smell made him nauseous, but he ran faster, stumbling into a clearing where Kagome lay, wounded. Inuyasha ran to her and in one swift, graceful motion, fell to her side. Blood tricked slowly out of a gash in her leg, as well as scrapes in her arms. Her eyes opened slowly as she felt the hanyou's presence next to her. "Inu…Yasha…"_

"_Hold on, Kagome. What happened?"_

"_I…fell…out of the tree… Inu…I hurt." She gasped and lay still. Inuyasha looked for broken bones, thanking Kami when he found none. He dug around in her yellow bag until he found her first aid kit. He grabbed a needle and thread and sewed up the gash in her leg, then wrapped up her wounds with gauze. While he did this, he talked to her, knowing this may be his only chance. _

"_I'm so sorry, Kagome. I don't know what I was thinking. It was so stupid of me to leave you like that," he rambled on until Kagome opened her eyes again, the same pained look on her face. "Forgive me, please. I love you."_

"_Sit." His body rushed to the ground, leaving a shallow mark. Rage clouded his mind, until he felt her hand stroking his ears and hair. "I forgive you this time. But one more screw up like that and I will 'sit' you until you die, got me?"_

"_Mmmph," he muttered into the dirt._

"_What?"_

"_I said 'yes'," he repeated as the spell started to wear off. When he regained full use of his body, he rolled over to where she was still lying and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close, making sure not to hurt her wounds. He heard her sigh, and chucked softly. _

"_What's so funny?" she demanded sleepily._

"_You. Thank you for forgiving me."_

"_You were pitiful, babbling on like that. How could I not? Besides, you know I love you."_

"_I was afraid you would have stopped after I left."_

"_I tried to. I thought I had succeeded. Then you came back. When I needed someone the most, you were there. And then, to hear the caring tone in your voice, the way you were apologizing. I knew you still loved me."_

"_How did you know I loved you before?"_

"_The way you would look at me, and tease me, and how you always protected me, and still let me hold you." He smiled down at her. Her eyes were closed again, and he resisted the urge to kiss her eyelashes. Mindful of her wounds and the fact that she didn't heal as fast as he did, he held her close, protecting her from the world around them, and fell asleep._


End file.
